Apparatus for making and stacking concrete blocks



3,032,851 APPARATUS FOR MAKING AND STACKING CONCRETE BLOCKS Filed Jan.27. 1959 F. M. GIBBS May 8, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FREDER/C M.GIBBS m; j w

May 8, 1962 INVENTOR. FREDER/C M. 6/885 ATTORNEY y 1962 F. M. GIBBS3,032,851

APPARATUS FOR MAKING AND STACKING CONCRETE BLOCKS Filed Jan. 27. 1959 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. i 7 FREDER/C M. G/BBS United States PatentOfiice 3,032,851 Patented May 8, 1962 3,032,851 APPARATUS FGR MAKING ANDSTACKHJG CONCRETE BLGCKS Frederic Marlrell Gibbs, 1717- Farley Road, LosGatos, Calif. Filed Jan. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 789,442 3 Claims. (Cl. 25-2)This invention relates to an apparatus for making and stacking concreteblocks.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus formaking and stacking concrete blocks by labor saving means.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatuswhereby a single operator may process a large number of blocks withoutengaging in heavy manual labor ordinarily required in making suchblocks.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus formaking concrete blocks in which there is employed a plurality of groupsof block forms or molds which are adapted to be filled with concretefrom a hopper type apparatus and which are adapted to be inverted toform stacks of blocks after the concrete blocks are hardened.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improvedapparatus for making concrete blocks in which the concrete is shaped inmolds that are arranged in groups, said molds being provided with blockretaining means so that the groups may be inverted and placed upon aplatform or pallet while they are still in the molds, and thereafter themolds may be removed therefrom, leavin the blocks stacked on saidplatform.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification,claims and drawing.

In accordance with this invention there is provided an improvedapparatus for making and stacking concrete blocks of taperedconfiguration without requiring the use of heavy manual labor forhandling the blocks. The blocks are first cast in suitable molds whichare arranged in groups, for example, each group may contain sixteenconcrete block forms that are attached together so as to form asubstantially square mold group. These mold groups are arranged on anelongated platform which is positioned underneath the tracks of atraveling crane type apparatus that is employed for carrying a concretehopper. .This hopper is filled with concrete and the operator then movesthe hopper over the mold groups and fills each mold with concrete fromthe bottom of the concrete hopper. After all the molds on the elongatedplatform are filled with concrete, a certain length of time is allowedfor the concrete blocks to set and harden.

The tapered molds are arranged in the aforesaid groups so that the largeend of the mold is open and the small end forms the bottom of each mold.Thus the tapered concrete blocks are formed in the molds with the largeend thereof uppermost to facilitate easy removal of the concrete blocksfrom the mold.

A pallet that is coextensive with the top of the mold group is placed onthe first mold group on the elongated platform and a similar pallet isplaced on the fourth, seventh and tenth groups on said platform afterthe concrete in the molds is set and hardened. Suitable retaining meansis provided for clamping these pallets down on the top surfaces of themold groups so that these mold groups may be inverted and the blocksallowed to rest on the pallet associated therewith as will be clear fromthe following description. The mold groups between the aforesaid groupsare provided with means for attaching a pair of channel iron members tothe tops thereof for the purpose of retaining the concrete blocks in themolds when these mold groups are inverted. After the pallets and blockretaining channel irons are positioned on the tops of the mold groups,said groups are ready to be removed from the elongated platform by thetraveling crane apparatus which may be the same traveling crane as isemployed for transporting the concrete hopper along the elongatedplatform.

This crane is provided with a chain lift having a pair of ends which areadapted to engage the ends of a steel rod that is inserted through thecenter of the concrete block group to be lifted. When this rod is inposition and is attached to the lift chain the concrete block group withthe pallet or block retaining means attached thereto is lifted from theelongated platform and transported by the crane to the storage area.When a lifted concrete block group is in position over the storage area,it is inverted on the crane hoist simply by rotating the concrete blockgroup on the centrally located steel bar that was employed for liftingthe concrete block group until the group of blocks is in invertedposition, in which position the pallet or block retaining means will beon the lowermost surface thereof. If a group of blocks that is providedwith a pallet is being handled, then the pallet and the block group arelowered by the chain hoist so that the pallet rests on the storagesurface. The pallet retaining means is then detached from the pallet andthe concrete block form is removed from the blocks simply by using thecrane to lift it therefrom. The concrete blocks are pulled out of themolds by the force of gravity and they are allowed to rest on the topsurface of the pallet with their large ends positioned thereon.

The second form group following the one provided with a pallet, is nextlifted from the elongated platform by using the aforesaid crane and theconcrete block group therein is moved to the position directly over thefirst concrete block group. The second form group is not provided with apallet but instead is provided with a pair of channel irons for holdingthe blocks in position in the molds. When the blocks of this group areresting on the tops of the blocks arranged on the pallet in the storagearea, they are released from the mold group simply by removing thechannel irons and the form is lifted from the released blocks by thechain hoist of the crane. The empty mold group is then transported bythe crane to its position on the elongated platform ready for refillingwith concrete. The third group is provided with the same type of blockretaining means as the second group and the concrete blocks thereof areplaced on the concrete blocks from the second group. The fourth group isprovided with a pallet the same as the first group and the blocksthereof are placed on this pallet when this group is inverted.Thereafter the blocks from the fifth and sixth groups are placed on theblocks from the fourth group. This procedure is repeated until all ofthe mold groups are emptied in the storage area and the blocks arestacked on the pallets.

Further details of this invention will be set forth in the followingspecification, claims and drawing in which briefly:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of an embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the invention shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom perspective view of one of the block mold groups;

FIGURE 4 is a top perspective view of one of the mold groups havingloops for receiving the channel iron members that are employed forretaining the blocks in the mold during handling;

FIGURE 5 is a top perspective view of a mold group with a palletinverted over the top thereof and attached thereto;

snags-s1 FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of one of the concrete blocks;

FIGURE 7 is a side view of blocks such as shown in FIGURE 6 stacked on apallet;

. FIGURE 8 is a side view of one of the mold groups with a palletattached to the top thereof and the whole being supported by the chainhoist preparatory to inversion thereof;

FIGURE 9 is a side view of the block mold and chain hoist shown inFIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a side view similar to that shown in FIGURE 8 in which oneof the even numbered mold groups shown in FIGURE 1 is attached to thechain hoist preparatory to inversion thereof;

FIGURE 11 is a side view of the mold group shown in FIGURE 10 invertedover the top of the concrete blocks removed from the mold shown inFIGURE 9 and positioned on the pallet;

FIGURE 12 is a side view of the hopper bottom concrete carrier employedfor filling the block forms positioned on the elevated platform as shownin FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 13 is a view taken along the line 13-13 of FIGURE 12.

Referring to the drawing in detail there is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 anelongated platform III that is supported by the posts 11 and on whichthere are positioned a plurality of concrete'block molds 12 which arearranged in groups such as the groups 13 and 14 shown in FIGURE 2.It'will be noted that the first and fourth groups are designated asgroups 13 and the second and third groups are designated as groups 14and the purpose of this will be more fully described hereinafter. Eachof these groups includes 16 of the molds 12 and these molds arepermanently fastened together by welding at their adjoining top edgesand by means of suitable iron straps or rods 12a welded thereto aroundthe bottom of the mold group so that each mold group may be handled as aunit as will be described in detail hereinafter. The molds 12 aretapered for producing tapered blocks and when these molds are grouped asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4 spaces or channels are formed therebetween. Thesechannels are useful in the handling of the mold groups and stacking ofthe con crete blocks.

A pair of iron rails 15 and 15a which may be in the form of I-beams aresupported by means of posts 17 along each side of the elongated platform16 and these rails support the beam 17 of a traveling crane which isprovided with carriages 18 and 18a that engage the rails 15 and 15arespectively. Each of these carriages 18 and 18a is provided with aplurality of wheels suitable for engaging the top surfaces of the rails15 and 15a and selected ones of these wheels are attached to the endportions of the rod 19 which is adapted to drive these wheels and asuitable motor 20 is coupled to the rod 19 for this purpose. The motor20 may be of the electrically driven type and a suitable extension cord21 that is supported on the wire 22 by means of slidable rings 22a isprovided for connecting the motor 20 to a suitable source of currentsupply.

The I-beam 17 of the traveling crane is adapted to support the bucket 23which is employed for transporting concrete to the molds 12 from theconcrete mixer 28. This bucket is provided with a hopper bottom 27 thatmay be opened and closed by the lever 27a, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13,to permit dropping proper amounts of concrete out of the bucket 23 intothe molds 12 through the open tops thereof. The bucket 23 is adapted tobe supported from the chain 25 which is provided with a hook 25a. Thechain 25 may be raised or lowered by means of the hoist 26 which is ofconventional construction. Thus the crane may be moved on the rails 15and 15a by means of the carriages 18 and 18a so that the bucket 23 maybe transported to the concrete mixer 28 at the left hand end of therails 15 and 150 at which point the bucket 23 ail may be lowered toreceive a charge of concrete. When the bucket 23 is full of concrete itis transported on the rails 15 and 15a along the tops of the open molds12, so that each of these molds may be filled with a suitable quantityof concrete that is released from the hopper bottom 27 of the bucket bymanipulating the lever 270. Thus the bucket filled with concrete may bemoved by the crane over the molds arranged on the platform 10 withoutthe expenditure of hard manual labor.

The first and fourth mold groups 13 shown in FIGURE 2 are adapted tohave pallets 30 such as illustrated in FIGURE 5 inverted over the topsthereof, after these mold groups have been filled with concrete whichhas been allowed to set and harden. Where the elongated platform 10 islong enough to support more than six mold groups then three additionalmold groups are provided since the seventh mold group is adapted to beprovided with a pallet and this is followed by two mold groups withoutpallets. In other words each mold group that is to be provided with apallet is followed by two mold groups without pallets. These pallets 30are of conventional construction in that they include a number of boards31 attached to one side of the cross pieces 32 so that they form a smallplatform on which the concrete blocks release from the molds may bepositioned as shown in FIGURE 7. Suitable spaced bracing boards 33 areattached to the other side of the cross pieces 32. The pallet 30 is heldagainst the top of the mold group as shown in FIGURE 5, by means of arod 42 which passes through the pallet and engages the boards 31thereof. This rod 42 is held in place by a pair of strip members 43 and43a which extend between this rod and another rod 36 which is positionedin the center of the mold group in the channellike cavity 45, thatextends through the center of the mold group. Bearing member 34 in theform of an angle iron is attached to adjacent ones of the molds 12 asshown in- FIGURES 3 and 4 and functions as a bearing for the rod 36.Small straps 35 may also be attached to the exteriors of the outer moldsadjacent to the ends of the angle iron member 34 if desired.

The ends of the rod 36 are inserted into loops 37 and 37a which areattached to the lower ends of the chains 38 and 38a as shown in FIGURE 9and the upper ends of these chains are attached to the angular members40 and 40a respectively which are attached to the ends of the spreadermember 39. Additional chains 41 and 41a are attached to the upper endsof the members 40 and 40a respectively and the upper ends of thesechains are attached to the loop 42 which is adapted to be engaged by thehook 25a of the chain hoist 26 as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9.

After the pallet 30 is placed upon the first mold group 13 and securedthereto as shown in FIGURE 5, and after the chain hoist is attached tothe ends of the bar or rod 36 as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, the moldgroup is lifted from the platform 10 by means of the chain hoist 26 andwhile the mold group is in this lifted position it is transported by thecrane to a storage area which may be oil? to one side of the platform10. When the mold group and pallet that is attached thereto are locatedover the storage area, the mold group and pallet are rotated about therod 36 as an axis so that the pallet 30 is on the lower surface of theconcrete blocks positioned in the molds of the mold group. The pallet 36and mold group including the concrete blocks therein are now lowered tothe ground so that the members 33 of the pallet rest on the ground andthe rod 42 is then detached from the strips 43. The chain hoist 26 isthen operated and the mold group is raised leaving the concrete blocks40 with their large ends resting on the pallet 3% as shown in FIG-1 URE7.

Mold group 14 following the mold group 13 is next transported from theplatform 11) so that the blocks therein may be placed on the blocks 40removed from the preceding mold group. Suitable channel iron members 43are inserted into the loops 44 attached to selected molds of the moldgroups 14. The purpose of these channel iron members 43 is to retain theconcrete blocks in position in the molds of these mold groups when theyare lifted and inverted. The mold groups 14 are also provided withhearing angle iron member 34 and straps 35 as previously described inconnection with the description of mold group 13 and the rod 36 which isadapted to be attached to the chain hoist as described in connectionwith FIGURES 3-9 and as shown in FIGURE 10, is inserted through the moldgroup along the angle iron member 34. When the mold group is thusattached to the chain hoist and inverted, the channel iron members 43effectively lock the concrete blocks in the molds of the mold group sothat the inverted mold group may be positioned over the top of theblocks 40 as shown in FIG- URE 11 before rods 43 are removed from theloops 44. When the mold group 14 is in position over the concrete blocks40 and the blocks in the mold group 14 are resting on the tops of theblocks 40 it will be observed that the channel iron members are locatedin spaces between the blocks 40 and below the upper surfaces thereof.Since they are clear of the blocks 40, the channel iron members 43 maybe removed and the mold group elevated by the chain hoist leaving theblocks 41 released from the mold group 14 and resting on the tops of theblocks 4-3 as shown in FIGURE 7. The blocks from the next mold group 14may be placed on the top of the blocks 41 shown in FIGURE 7 to make astack that is three blocks high. The next mold group is designated byreference numeral 13 and this mold group is adapted to be provided witha pallet on which the blocks may be placed as previously described inconnection with the first mold group 13 and thereafter the blocks fromtwo mold groups 14 may be stacked thereon. The mold groups 13 are thefirst, fourth, and seventh mold groups on the platform It) and these arereferred to as a first series whereas the mold groups 14 are the second,third, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth mold groups on the platform andthese are referred to as the second series. Of course these series maybe extended further if a longer platform is provided. Furthermore, theseseries may be altered. If it is desired to stack the blocks only twohigh the first series becomes the odd numbered mold group series and thesecond series becomes the even numbered series, or if the blocks arestacked four high then the first series includes the mold groups one,five and nine, and the second series includes the second, third, fourth,sixth, seventh and eighth. Also, two platforms 10 may be providedparallel to each other and the mold groups of the first series may be onone platform whereas those of the second series may be on the otherplatform.

The blocks formed in the molds 12 are in the shape of a frustum of apyramid as shown in FIGURE 6. They may of course have other shapes ifdesired. Where these blocks are employed as elements of a foundation towhich boards or similar structural members are to be attached, I

each of the blocks may be provided with a wooden insert 50. These woodeninserts may be placed in the bot-toms of the molds 12 as shown in FIGURE4 prior to the filling of the mold with concrete so that when theconcrete is placed into the mold, the wooden blocks 50 are embedded inthe tops of the concrete blocks.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention it will beunderstood that the invention is capable of variation and modificationfrom the form shown so that its scope should be limited only by thescope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for making and stacking concrete blocks the combinationof elongated platform means, a plurality of concrete block molds adaptedto be supported on said platform means, means for attaching a pluralityof said molds together to form a plurality of mold groups, said molds insaid groups having open ends for receiving a charge of concrete to beset into concrete blocks, a pallet positioned over the open ends of themolds of a first one of said groups, attaching means for releasablyattaching said pallet to said first mold group, lifting means adapted tobe releasably attached substantially to the center of said first moldgroup for lifting and inverting said first mold group so that theconcrete blocks therein are invented onto said pallet and releasedtherefrom when said attaching means is detached therefrom, said concreteblocks being positioned on said pallet in spaced apart rows, retainingrods positioned over portions of the open ends of a second one of saidmold groups such that each retaining tl'Od extends over parts of thetops of blocks in adjacent rows of the molds thereof, means forreleasably attaching said retaining rods to said second mold group, saidlifting means being adapted to be releasably attached substantially tothe center of said second mold group for lifting and inverting saidsecond mold group over the concrete blocks positioned on said pallet,said retaining rods being adapted to extend into spaces between rows ofblocks on said pallet when said blocks in said second mold group arepositioned on corresponding blocks on said pallet by said lifting means,said retaining rods being adapted to be released by said last-mentionedreleasable attaching means when said blocks in said second mold groupare positioned on corresponding blocks on said pallet whereby saidblocks in said second mold group are released therefrom and stacked onthe blocks on said pallet when said lifting means lifts said second moldgroup away from the last-mentioned blocks.

2. in apparatus for making and stacking concrete blocks the combinationof elongated platform means, a plurality of concrete block molds adaptedto be supported on said platform means, means for attaching a pluralityof said molds together to form a plurality of mold groups,

each of said mold groups comprising a plurality of parallel rows ofmolds with tapered spaces therebetween, said molds in said groups havingopen ends for receiving a charge of concrete to be set into concreteblocks, a pallet positioned over the open ends of the molds of a firstone of said groups, attaching means for releasably attaching said palletto said first mold group, a rod passing through the tapered spacesubstantially in the center of said first mold group, lifting meansadapted to be releasably attached to said rod for lifting said firstmold group and inverting said first mold group about said rod so thatthe concrete blocks therein are inverted onto said pallet and releasedtherefrom when said attaching means is detached therefrom, said concreteblocks being positioned on said pallet in spaced apart rows, a pluralityof retaining rods positioned over portions of the open ends of a secondone of said mold groups such that each of said last mentioned rodsextends over parts of the tops of blocks in adjacent rows of the moldsthereof, means for releasably attaching said last mentioned rods to saidsecond mold group, a rod passing through the tapered space substantiallyin the center of said second mold group, said lifting means beingadapted to be releasably attached to said last mentioned rod for liftingand inverting said second mold group over the concrete blocks positionedon said pallet, said retaining rods being adapted to extend into spacesbetween rows of blocks on said pallet when said blocks in said secondmold group are positioned on corresponding blocks on said pallet by saidlifting means, said retaining rods being adapted to be released by saidlast-men tioned releasable attaching means when said blocks in saidsecond mold group are positioned on corresponding blocks on said palletwhereby said blocks in said second mold group are released therefrom andstacked on the blocks on said pallet when said lifting means lifts saidsecond mold group away from the last-mentioned blocks.

3. In apparatus for making and stacking concrete blocks the combinationof elongated platform means, a plurality of tapered concrete block moldsadapted to be supported on said platform means with the small endthereof resting on said platform means, means for attaching a pluralityof said molds together to form a plurality of mold groups, each of saidgroups comprising a plurality of parallel rows of molds with taperedspaces therebetween, said molds in said groups having the large endsthereof open for receiving a charge of concrete to be set into concreteblocks, a pallet positioned over the open ends of the molds of a firstone of said groups attaching means for releasably attaching said palletto said first mold group, lifting means, means for attaching saidlifting means substantially to the center of said first mold group forlifting and inverting said first mold group so that the concrete blockstherein are invented onto said pallet and released therefrom when saidfirst-mentioned attaching means is detached therefrom, said concreteblocks being positioned on said pallet in spaced apart relation with thelarge ends of the blocks resting on said pallet, a plurality of blockretaining rods positioned over portions of the open ends of a second oneof said mold groups such that each retaining rod extends over parts ofthe tops of the concrete blocks in adjacent rows of the molds of saidsecond group, means for releasably attaching said retaining rods to saidsecond mold group, for retaining said blocks in the molds when the moldgroup is inverted, means for attaching said lifting means substantiallyto the center of said second mold group for 8 inverting and positioningsaid second mold group over the concrete blocks positioned on saidpallet so that the large ends of the blocks from said second mold grouprest on the small ends of the blocks positioned on said pallet, saidretaining rods being adapted to project into spaces between the blockson said pallet when said blocks References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 986,266 Carter et al. Mar. 7, 19111,493,732 Camp May 13, 1924 2,006,594 Hoch July 2, 1935 2,131,474Henderson Sept. 27, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 150,890 Sweden July 26, 1955

